Air washer



Mar. 27, 1923.

2 sheets-sheet 1 P S TICE AIR WASHER Filed Apr. 1, 192].

Mar. 27, 1923,

' P. S. TICE AIR WASHER Filed Apr. l, 1921 2 sheets-sheet- 2 PERCIVAL S. TICE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Am WASHER.

Application filed April 1,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PnnclvAL 8. Tree, a citizen of the United States, and a'resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and the State of Illinois, have invent ed certain new and useful Improvements in Air Washers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming' a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide means for washing the air for admixture with the liquid fuel for supplying the internal combustion engine, and incidentally moistening the air for the advantages afi'orded by such moisture. It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described, as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings 1- Figure 1 is a trans-axial section of one chamber of a device embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is an axial section of both members of the device.

Figure 3 is a partly sectional side eleva tion of a reflecting and deflecting hood-section, being at the same plane as Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of said hood.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a reflect-.

ing and deflecting hood employed for discharging the water from the air.

Figure 6 is a section at the line 6-6, on Fi ure 3.

igure 7 is a section at the line, 77, on Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a section at the line, 8-8, on Figure 1.

The structure shown in the drawings comprises a cylindrical body member, A, which ispartitioned into two chambers'by a transaxial partition, B, the chamber, C, at one side of said partition being the water reservoir, and the chamber, D, at the other side of the partition being that in which the washing of the air takes place, and in which a partial vacuum is produced by its connection with the engine intake through the outlet aperture, cl, at which there is shown connected a short pipe member, G, designed to be connected with the air intake to the carbureter which supplies the engine. The air drawn into this chamber, D, by the suction of the engine enters through apertures, a, a, symmetrically situated at opposite sides in the cylindrical wall of the chamber, and follows conduits; E, E, leading from these apertures 1921. Serial N0. 457,588.

respectively and uniting in a single discharge member, E. These conduits are formed by partitioning members in the chamber, D,

These comprise, (a) two drooping loops or U shaped members, 6, e, extending respectively from the upper edges of the two apertures, a, a, downward and then flexed inward and refiexed upward and outward divergently at opposite sides of the vertical diametric plane ofthe chamber, D; (12) two similar bars, e, e, o1ned respectively to the cylindrical wall of the chamber, D, at points symmetrically situated with respect to said vertical diametric plane, below the level of the lowest droop of the members, e, e, extending horizontally inward toward each other and upward convergingly parallel'to the convergmgly flexed portions of said members, 6, e, and meeting and being joined together at the level of closest approximation of the said two parts, as seen at 6 where their meeting edges are crimped as shown for breaking up the air currents discharging past them; and (0) two similar end pieces 6 6 joined to the edges of the parts, 6 and e, and making junction with the cylindrical wall of the chamber, D, at the lateral margin of the apertures, a, a, respectively. The. result it will be seen is, two air conduits which'have each at a low oint in their course a constriction, the sa1d conduits meeting at a point inwardly beyond said low points and continuing in a single upwardly extending and widening discharge mouth-piece.

It will be understood that the suction of the engine will tend to cause an inrush of air through the apertures, a, and through the two conduits, E, E, and their common flaring discharge E In order that the air may be washed and cleared of dust as it passes through this conduit, provision is made for a supply of water to the conduit at the constricted point, e in each. For this purpose there is provided the water reservoir, C, and the connections therefrom through the chamber, D, which will now be described. The reservoir, (3,is designed to be filled through the top, for which purpose it is provided at the'top with a filling aperture closed by a screwedin filler cap or plug, A The outletfor the water is at the bottom through a fitting, J, which is preferably made in the form shown, consisting of a T-fitting, with the cross of the T vertical and the stem horizontal pointing toward the chamber, G,

said fitting being secured in the bottom of the chamber, C, by the lower arm of the cross of ,the Tinserted, out through the; bottom, and having connected with it outside the chamber a drain-cock, J the inlet fitting being at the upper end of the cross of the T where there is provided a flap valve, L, which may have a spring, Z, for insuring its closure, though it may close by gravity. This valve has a tail-piece, L with which the lower end of an operating rod, L is loosely engaged,

the upper end of,.said rod extending out through a guide aperture in the top of the chamber at the margin of the filling aperture, and protruding there-above so as to be encountered by the closure plug of cap, A ,'when the latter is screwed home, and to be thereby thrust downward far enough to cause it to operate the valve, L, for opening, as seen in Figure 2. From this construction it will be seen that when the filler cap is removed for filling the chamber, the outlet valve is closed and the chamber may be filled with water withoutany escape for the water at the bottom. From the stem,;j, of the fitting, J, a discharge spout, J leads through the partition wall, B, between the chambers, C and D, and turns downward into a drainage and sediment cup, M, which is detachably mounted at the lower side of the chamber, D, with-free opening from the latter chamber, into said sediment and drainage cup. From this it will be understood that when the water is supplied from the chamber, C, to the chamber, D, the supply is delivered through the sediment and drainage cup, M, which is first filled up, the water rising then into the chamber, D. It will be evident that the water will notflow from the chamber, C, unless air access is provided at the top of that chamber, and for that purpose there is provided the air vent pipe, N, whose upper end opens through the top of the chamber, 0, in the margin of the filling opening, terminating so slightly above the latter as not to be closed by the filler cap or plug when it'is screwed home. At the lower end of the ipe, N, is deflected through the partition, D, so that it opens in the chamber, D. Atmospheric pressure for permitting the delivery of water from the chamber, C, is therefore derived through the chamber, D. From this construction it results, as will be readily understood, that starting with the chamber, D, empty, the

-chamber, 0,. having been filled with water and the filler cap screwed home, opening the valve, L, water will flow from the chamber, (1, into the sediment and drainage chamber, M, and rise thence into the lower part of the chamber, D, until it closes and seals the lower end of-the air vent pipe, N; and that the sealing of the air vent will stop the delivery of water from the chamber, C, until from some cause the level of in the chamber, D, around the conduits, E,

but in said conduits to the line, X, X, thereby producing a water trap in each of the conduits at the low point thereof.

The operation of the construction thus far described may be understood to be that the suction of the engine producing a partial vacuum in the chamber, D, will by suction first take the water out of said traps in the conduits E, E, the air following and beinn discharged in a spreading jet through the upwardly-extending flaring mouth-piece, E of the conduit; and it will be observed that the traps being kept measurably clear by the inrush of air, the water constantly delivered through the apertures, (1 will be in the form of jets, constituting a shower across the inrushing air current, and that the said air current, therefore, being drawn through this water shower, will be relieved of the dust which it carries; audit will be observed also, that the water taken with the air in its inrush through the trap will be discharged with the air in a spreading jet or shower at the upper end of the flaring mouth-piece, E A- specific purpose of the present construction is to separate the water from the air at and following its ,delivery therewith from the mouth-piece, E so that the air may pass on to the engine without carrying with it any more moisture than that which may be taken up by evaporation; that is, so that there shall be no drops or globules of water carried with the air into the engine. For this purpose there is provided a hood of the'nature of a reflector and deflector for the jet or shower dischar d from the mouth-piece, E This deflecting and reflecting hood, H, is, constructed with two sheet metal members, H each flexed in approximately v parabolic form and joined edge to edge at an apex line, It, to which the parabolic curves converge at an acute angle as seen in Figure 2, the axial planes of the parabolic forms being also converging for meeting at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, the parabolic curves andthe'inclination of their axial planes being such that the outer limbs of the parabolic members terminate against the opposite flat walls, A and B of the chamber, D, with the planes of said walls substantially tangent to the curves of said parabolicmembers respectively, as seen in Figure 2. This hood is completed by end members, H each of which is of sheet metal folded at approximately right angle, as seen in Figure 4, the fold lines and angle apexes of the two heads being inclined toward each other converging downwardly intersecting the angular apex at the meeting line, it, of the parabolic member. This causes a hood to comprise two downwardly open pockets, h, h, each widening outwardly from the ends of the apex line, h,

for involving acute-angled end portions, it,

said ends of the pockets being inclined downward inwardly, that is, toward the broad siidesof the mouth-piece, E of the air conuit. 2

The operation of the device constructed as described is that the mixed spreading jet or shower of air and water which is delivered upwardly from th flaring mouth-piece, E against the hood, is separated in its deflection by the overhanging curved members of the hood, the water by reason of its greater momentum being carried against and spread over the surface of the said curved member, and delivered in an even smooth sheet from the outer extended edge thereof onto the vertical surfaces of the walls, A and B, of the chamber, and flows down these walls in an unbroken .sheet without tendency to break into drops; while the air relieved of the water readily escapes through the angles formed by the ends of the hoods, and passes out'by way of the outlet, at, to the engine. Itwill be noticed that these end pieces are extended below the lower edges of the outer sides of the parabolically curved members. A purpose of this is to defeat the tendency of the water breaking into drops at the lateral edges of the stream which is delivered tangentially from said curved members, and to narrow up the stream flowing down said walls, thickening the edges of the stream somewhat, while the momentum which would tend to cause the stream. to spread over the same walls and break into drops is lost. so that the water will continue through the remainder of its course without breaking into drops.

It will be understood that the water is maintained at level of the line, XX, of the air connection in the chamber, D, by additions thereto derived from the chamber, C, at intervals as the level of water in the chamber, C. is lowered by reason of evaporation, so as to uncover the inlet mouth of the air vent, N; and that this will continue until the supply in the reservoir, C, is reduced to that level. As often as this occursor oftener if the amount of sediment accumulated makes is necessary,the sediment cup, M, will be removed. Since thewater presumably will not be allowed to fall below the inlet mouth of the'tube, N, the removal of the drainage cup would, in the absence of provision to the contrary, cause an inconvenient dumping of the water in the chamber, D,

above the top of the drainage cup; and provision is therefore made for first drawing oil the water down to a point below the-level of the top of the cup, which is effected by means of the spout, J leading from the fitting, J, which operates as a siphon when the drain cock, J is open, siphoning out the contents of the cup or chamber, M,.and the drain cup down to the intake of said spout.

Incidentally, the formation of the hood, H, as described produces an upwardly open pocket between the curved members, H H and the re-entrant angle members, H and this pocket is liable to accumulate moisture and require outlet, which is-provided by holes, h, at the lower ends of the apex of each of said angular ends, H.

I claim 1. An air washing and moistening device for internal. combustion engines, comprising a chamber having an atmosphere inlet and in'to tangency with a wall of the chamber;

whereby the water is delivered in a substantially unbroken sheet downwardly along said chamber wall.

2. In the construction defined in claim 1, foregoing, the deflector having depending end members inclined inward to, limit the lateral or edgewise spread of the water sheets as it is delivered tangentially onto the chamber wall, and condense the width of the stream on the chamber wall to preserve a water-free path for the air toward the outlet leading to the engine intake.

3. In the construction defined in claim 1,

foregoing, the means for admitting water to the air conduit being relatively fine perforations in the wall of said conduit, whereby the water is discharged in a spray across the air current to the conduit. i 4. In the construction defined in claim 1, foregoing, the deflector being double, comprising two similar downwardly-concave members meeting at an acute angle above the middle of the upwardly discharging flared mouthpiece, said two. members being curved into tangency with opposite side walls of the chamber.

5. In the construction defined in claim 1, foregoing, the deflector having end members &

inclined down inward and at an acute angle to said tangentially-trending part of the refiector for condensing the water film in width and thickening it at its lateral margins to prevent it breaking into drops.

6. An air washing and moistening device comprising a water supply chamber, a washing chamber, and a drainage chamber; the supply chamber having an air vent conduit leading from the washing chamber for permitting its discharge; a spout by which the water chamber opens for discharge in the drainage chamber, whereby the washing chamber is supplied immediately from the drainage chamber, and a drain cock at the bottom of the supply chamber; whereby the liquid contents of the washing chamber and drainage chamber may be siphoned out through the drainage chamber down to a level below the top of the drainage chamher before the latter is removed for emptymg. I

7. An air washing and moistening device for internal combustion engines, comprising a washing chamber, and an appurtenant water supply chamber, having an-air vent pipe opening into the water supply chamber at the top thereof, and at its lower end opening into the washing chamber for admittingatmosp-heric pressure to the watersupply chamber from the washing chamber; whereby the said vent is sealed, and flow from the supply chamber to the washing chamber is permitted only when the water level in the washing chamber falls below the entrance to said vent pipe.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 30th day of March, 1921.

PERCIVAL S. TICE. 

